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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packet 051110 - Special Meeting SPECIAL MEETING Atascadero City Council Tuesday, May 11, 2010 6:00 P.M. City Hall – Council Chambers Atascadero, California AGENDA ROLL CALL: PUBLIC COMMENT: COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REPORTS: (On their own initiative, Council Members may make a brief announcement or a brief report on their own activities. Council Members may ask a question for clarification, make a referral to staff or take action to have staff place a matter of business on a future agenda. The Council may take action on items listed on the Agenda.) 1. Reconsideration of Item #C-2 on the April 27, 2010 City Council agenda concerning Request for Participation in Grant Application: “Small Cities of San Luis Obispo County Climate Action Plan” – Sustainable Planning Grant and Incentives Program (Council Member Tom O’Malley) 2. Request for Participation in Grant Application: “Small Cities of San Luis Obispo County Climate Action Plan” - Sustainable Planning Grant and Incentives Program  Fiscal Impact: o Short Term: No monetary match is required to qualify for these grants. The Small Cities Climate Action Plan grant application would be prepared by a consultant funded through the SLO County Air Pollution Control District, with collaboration between other municipal agencies. If the grant is funded, City staff time would be needed for public outreach and coordination during the Climate Action Planning process. o Long Term: A Climate Action Plan will commit the City and its citizens to make a number of significant changes from our curren t way of life. The fiscal cost of these changes is not known, but is likely significant.  Recommendation: Council adopt Draft Resolution A, to authorize participation in the Sustainable Planning and Incentives Program Grant application for grant funding of the “Small Cities of San Luis Obispo County Climate Action Plan.” [Community Development] ADJOURNMENT: The City Council will adjourn to its next regularly scheduled meeting. ITEM NUMBER: # 2 DATE: 05/11/10 (Spc.Mtg) Atascadero City Council Staff Report – Community Development Department Request for Participation in Grant Application: “Small Cities of San Luis Obispo County Climate Action Plan” Sustainable Planning Grant and Incentives Program RECOMMENDATION: Council adopt Draft Resolution A, to authorize participation in the Sustainable Planning and Incentives Program Grant application for grant funding of the “Small Cities of San Luis Obispo County Climate Action Plan.” REPORT IN BRIEF: Staff is requesting City Council authorization for the City of Atascadero to participate in an application for grant funds through the Sustainable Planning Grant and Incentives Program. The City of Atascadero has the opportunity to participate in a regio nal grant application for the “Small Cities of San Luis Obispo County Climate Action Plan.” The grant would provide funding for all participating cities to complete a Climate Action Plan tailored to each specific community. The Council should be aware of the following points in making a decision: Although there is not a mandate to prepare a Climate Action Plan this year, it is required between now and 2020 in order to comply with AB32. The sooner it is prepared, the easier it will be to implement. If the City moves forward now, there is a funding source and support from a consultant. A Climate Action Plan is going to change how we live and will cost money to the City, businesses, and developers to implement. The Council needs to decide if the City should begin the Climate Action Plan now; or wait, understanding that there would be short term savings and long term costs. DISCUSSION: Background: State Actions: In 2005, the California Governor issued Executive Order (EO S-3-05) which established Green House Gas (GHG) reduction targets for the State. The order established the following goals:  By 2020, reduce GHG to 1990 levels  By 2050, reduce GHG to 80% below 1990 levels. To support these reduction targets, the California legislature adopted Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), which requires local agencies to ultimately meet State GHG reduction goals. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recommends that the first step to lower emissions is to identify current em ission levels through a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory. The GHG inventories produced by each city will act a baseline to set reduction targets and to measure progress annually to meet the goals of AB 32 by 2020. City Actions: On May 23, 2006, the Mayor of Atascadero issued a letter to the Office of Sustainability and Environment expressing the City of Atascadero’s support of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. On March 24, 2009, the Atascadero City Council authorized the City to prepare a greenhouse gas inventory. In conjunction with direction to move forward with the GHG Inventory, last year the Atascadero City Council adopted a resolution to join Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) and participate in the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign. As a member of ICLEI, the City agreed to take a leadership role in promoting public awareness about the impacts of climate change. ICLEI asks cities to commit to a five step process when join ing the Cities for Climate Protection initiative, to be completed within a timeframe appropriate to the individual city. The milestones include: 1. Conduct a baseline emissions inventory and forecast; 2. Adopt an emissions reduction target for the fore cast year; 3. Develop a Local Climate Action Plan; 4. Implement policies and measures; and 5. Monitor and verify results. The current greenhouse gas inventory process is funded by the San Luis Obispo Air Pollution Control District (SLO APCD.) SLO APCD provided $75,000 in grant funding for technical assistance to help the smaller cities in San Luis Obispo County complete their GHG inventories. All six cities, including Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Grover Beach, Morro Bay, Paso Robles, and Pismo Beach accept ed the SLO APCD grant and are in the process of working with the consultant to complete GHG inventories. The City of San Luis Obispo and the County of San Luis Obispo have also completed inventories on their own (refer to Attachment 4). The City of Atascadero’s GHG Inventory is nearing completion. The APCD consultant, PMC, has completed a draft inventory which is currently being finalized in conjunction with City staff. A final draft of the inventory will be presented to the City Council in the near future. Once current emissions levels are identified, the next step in the process would be for the City to set a target for reduction and develop methods and strategies to lower their emissions. These strategies are compiled in what is known as a “Climate Action Plan.” A Climate Action Plan (CAP) is a planning tool used by local agencies to develop targets and actions that are consistent with AB32 and also meet local circumstances, resources, and emission sources. Climate Action Plan Funding Through Proposition 84 and the State’s Strategic Growth Council, grant funds are currently available for a variety of local sustainable planning projects. The Cities of Paso Robles, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, and Morro Bay are coordinating on an application for a grant through the Strategic Growth Council to fund a “Small Cities Climate Action Plan.” The City of Atascadero is eligible to participate in this regional grant application to obtain State funds to pay for a Climate Action Plan. The City of Pismo Beach may also consider taking part in the grant application. The SLO APCD is acting as a regional coordinator in the grant application process and the City of Paso Robles will be the lead grant applicant. What is a Climate Action Plan? A Climate Action Plan identifies specific actions the City can take to achieve the State’s GHG reduction requirements. It also identifies other means to reduce emissions that will be the most effective in terms of cost, return on investment, and local acceptance. The process of developing a Climate Action Plan is a public process that identifies cost- effective opportunities to reduce GHG emissions that are relevant to a n individual city. The individual characteristics of each city’s economy, resource base, and political structure provide different opportunities for dealing with climate change. Typically a climate action plan is part of the following process (see Attachment 5 for additional information). 1. Conduct a baseline emissions inventory and forecast. (currently in process) 2. Set an emissions reduction target 3. Develop an action plan to meet the emissions reduction target 4. Implement the Action Plan 5. Monitor and verify progress and results Grant Coordination The County and City of San Luis Obispo will not be co -applicants in the proposed grant application because those agencies have already received formula “economic stimulus” funds available to larger jurisdictions, and they are already developing their own Climate Action Plans. However, the smaller cities do not have the same resources available, yet are responsible to meet the same mandates. This grant opportunity, if awarded, will provide the means to collectively apply for funds to prepare this plan. The grant application guidelines encourage collaborative, regional applications. The grant is being prepared as a regional collaborative application. Grant applications are due May 28, 2010. Grant awards will be approved September 2010. The SLO APCD has existing funds available to assist the “Small Cities” in preparing the grant application. No direct matching funds would be required by the participating cities to receive this grant. City staff resources would not be significant, since the SLO APCD would become a subrecipient of the grant and administer the program. CONCLUSION: Under AB32, every city and county in California are required to meet the State mandate of reducing emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. The City of Atascadero is currently nearing completion of a greenhouse gas inventory which identifies current emissions levels in the City. The City has the opportunity to participate with the other small cities in San Luis Obispo County in a regional application for a grant to fund individual Climate Action Plans. The grant offers an opportunity to complete a Climate Action Plan without using City funds or resources. The City Council may choose to participate in the grant application by adopting the attached resolution. If the City does not participate in the grant, the City will be obligated to fund and staff a Climate Action Plan process in the future in order to comply with AB 32. Rolling back GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 will require significant changes in the way people live, travel, build and do businesses. The Climate Action Plan will commit the City to take action to make these change s. Although there are very good arguments and evidence to support the need to make these changes, the Council should be aware that these changes will likely be complicated, controversial, expensive, time consuming, and difficult to implement. FISCAL IMPACT: Short Term: No monetary match is required to qualify for these grants. The Small Cities Climate Action Plan grant application would be prepared by a consultant funded through the SLO County Air Pollution Control District, with collaboration between other municipal agencies. If the grant is funded, City staff time would be needed for public outreach and coordination during the Climate Action Planning process. Long Term: A Climate Action Plan will commit the City and its citizens to make a number of significant changes from our current way of life. The fiscal cost of these changes is not known, but is likely significant. ALTERNATIVES: 1. The City Council could request additional information and refer this item back to staff prior making a decision. 2. The City Council could chose not to participate in the collaborative regional grant application and defer the preparation of a Climate Action Plan to a later date. The City would have to fund a future Climate Action Plan. ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1: Resolution for Small Cities Climate Action Plan Attachment 2: Letter of Intent Attachment 3: List of California Cites with Climate Action Plans. Attachment 4: San Luis Obispo’s Climate Action Plan Process Attachment 5: What is a Climate Action Plan? Attachment 1: City Council Draft Resolution A; Approval of Participation in the Grant Application for the Small Cities of San Luis Obispo County Climate Action Plan DRAFT RESOLUTION A A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ATASCADERO, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING PARTICIPATION IN THE APPLICAION FOR THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PLANNING GRANT AND INCENTIVES PROGRAM (PROPOSITION 84) FOR A GRANT APPLICATION FOR THE “SMALL CITIES OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN” WHEREAS, local government actions taken to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions provide multiple local benefits by: reducing energy expenditures; saving money for the local government, its businesses and residents; decreasing air pollution; and, WHEREAS, the State legislature adopted AB 32 (known as the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006), established a multi-year program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020; and, WHEREAS, on May 23, 2006, the Mayor of Atascadero issued a letter to the Office of Sustainability and Environment expressing the City of Atascadero’s support of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement; and, WHEREAS, on March 24, 2009 the Atascadero City Council adopted a resolution to join ICLEI and participate in the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign, which includes the five milestones to reduce both greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions throughout the community, by: 1.) Conducting a baseline emissions inventory and forecast; 2.) Adopting an emissions reduction target for the forecast year; 3.) Developing a Local Action Plan 4.) Implementing policies and measures; and 5.) Monitoring and verifying results; and, WHEREAS, the City of Atascadero is currently nearing completion of its greenhouse gas inventory to measure the emissions produced within the community and through City operations; and, WHEREAS, the Legislature and Governor of the State of California have provided funds for the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentives program under Proposition 84; and, WHEREAS, the Strategic Growth Council has been delegated the responsibility for the administration of this grant program, establishing necessary procedures; and, WHEREAS, said procedures established by the Strategic Growth Council require a resolution certifying the approval of applications by the Applicants governing board before submission of said applications to the State; and, WHEREAS, the applicant, if selected, will enter into an agreement with the State of California to carry out the development of the proposal. NOW THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Atascadero takes the following actions: 1. Approves the filing of an application for the Small Cities of San Luis Obispo County Climate Action Plan in order to become a sustainable community; and, 2. Certifies that the City of Atascadero understands the assurances and certification in the application; and, 3. Certifies that the City of Atascadero will have sufficient funds to develop the Proposal or will secure the resources to do so; and, 4. Certifies that the Proposal will comply with any applicable laws and regulations; and, 5. Appoints the Community Development Director, or designee, as agent to conduct all negotiations, execute and submit all documents including, but not limited to, applications, agreements, payment requests and so on, which may be necessary for the completion of the aforementioned project. On motion by Council Member ________________ and seconded by Council Member ________________, the foregoing Resolution is hereby adopted in its entirety on the following roll call vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ADOPTED: CITY OF ATASCADERO By:______________________________ Roberta Fonzi, Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________________ Marcia McClure Torgerson, C.M.C., City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: _______________________________________ Brian Pierik, City Attorney Attachment 2: Letter of Intent to Participate in Grant Application for Climate Action Plan May 1, 2010 California Natural Resources Agency Strategic Growth Council 1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311 Sacramento, CA 95814 Subject: Sustainable Communities - Planning Grant and Incentives Program Focus Area #3: Letter of Intent Dear Madam or Sir: The City of Atascadero is pleased to participate as a partner in the application for a grant for Focus Area #3: Regional Planning Activities with Multiple Partners, made available through the State of California Strategic Growth Council. It is the intent of the City of Atascadero to partner on a joint application with the other “small cities” in San Luis Obispo County on a Sustainable Communities - Planning Grant and Incentives Program grant to develop a region wide “Small Cities of San Luis Obispo County Climate Action Plan”. If successful, this grant will ensure that all of the cities, including Atascadero will be able to develop a strategic plan for compliance with greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and goals of AB 32. Thank you for this opportunity. Sincerely, Roberta Fonzi Mayor Attachment 3: List of California Cities with Climate Action Plans Attachment 4: San Luis Obispo’s Climate Action Plan Process from <http://www.slocool.org/our-process.html> Our Process By joining ICLEI, San Luis Obispo committed to following the Five Milestones process. These "milestones" were designed to give cities and counties a clear path towards achieving their climate protection goals. The Cal Poly Climate Team will be working with the City to address parts of Milestones two and three over the next seven months, from October 2009 to April 2010. Our work will be completed in two phases: Phase 1 There are three steps that comprise Phase 1: research, outreach, and policy review. The Cal Poly Climate Team will be working on this phase from now until December 2009. The end product will be a Policy Audit Report which will be submitted to City Staff for review. Our research component will include a review of climate science, the City’s emissions inventory, existing climate action plans in various cities and counties throughout the United States, and climate planning literature. Our outreach includes informational booths at Farmer’s Market, a community workshop, as well as various digital media outlets such as this website, a Facebook group and online survey. The policy review evaluates current City policies and procedures that have been implemented since 2005. Emissions reductions resulting from these policies will be estimated. Phase 2 The Policy Audit, from Phase 1, serves as the starting point for Phase 2. In Phase 2, we will continue our outreach, develop emissions reduction strategies, and prepare an internal draft of our Climate Action Plan. The outreach portion of this phase will have a slightly different focus as we will be soliciting feedback on our proposed policies. We will continue to update the community through our media outlets and meet with City Staff. Additionally we will be hosting workshops at local schools and meeting with stakeholder groups. Using the feedback gathered at the meeting in combination with additional research, we will conduct a feasibility assessment, calculate potential emissions reductions, and create a implementation and monitoring program for each proposed policy. The final set of policies will be detailed in the Draft Climate Action Plan to be submitted for staff review in March 2010. Why a Climate Action Plan? The City of San Luis Obispo has a long history of implementing environmentally friendly principles and sustainable practices. In 2005, San luis Obispo extended their commitment to the environment, signing the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement and in 2008, the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign (CCP), Organized by ICLEI, Local Governments for Sustainability. The CCP Campaign outlines five steps for taking action: 1. Conduct a baseline emissions inventory and forecast. 2. Set an emissions reduction target 3. Develop an action plan to meet the emissions reduction target 4. Implement the Action Plan 5. Monitor and verify progress and results To learn more about the "5 Milestones", visit ICLEI's website. Where is San Luis Obispo now? So far, the City has conducted a baseline emissions inventory and set their emissions reduction target. The City of San Luis Obispo is in the early stages of Milestone 3. In conjunction with the Cal Poly Climate Team, the City will be conducting a policy audit. This policy audit is an inventory of all actions, policies, or steps taken by the City since 2005 that contribute to a reduction in their GHG emissions. On October 14th, the Cal Poly Climate Team presented to the City's Planning Commission. Play the video below to see what was presented. Read the Final Emissions Inventory approved by the City Council on September 15th, 2009. Inserted from <http://www.slocool.org/our-process.html> Attachment 5: What is a Climate Action Plan? A Climate Action Plan (CAP) should be: A roadmap to reducing local greenhouse gas emissions consistent with California Assembly Bill 32 and a vehicle to prepare for SB 375 implementation. A centralized connection between all existing and future sustainability policies, programs, and efforts at the local, regional, and state level. A clear, concise document that the public will understand and be able to connect to their everyday actions. A California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) programmatic tiering document for legal defensibility and streamlining purposes. The climate action plan planning process has several primary tasks that are listed below. 1. Prepare an inventory of existing (2005) and projected future emissions under “business as usual” scenario for 2020 and 2025 (the General Plan Buildout Year) from community-wide and municipal sources. (Completed) 2. Present and explain the basis for an emission reduction target or targets. Most CA local government reduction targets are developed using the guidance from the AB32 scoping plan, which suggests a goal of reducing GHG emissions be 15% below “current” levels by 2020 to achieve the 19990 equivalent emissions. 3. Develop a GHG emission reduction program to achieve the City’s target in the Climate Action Plan. The CAP will address three key sectors: new development, existing uses, and municipal facilities and operations. a. Review, assess, and quantify the City’s existing GHG-reducing activities. b. Identify additional action needed to achieve the City’s reduction target. Reduction measures are generally developed by the CAP team (consultant and City staff) based on research, best practices, regulatory guidance, and public input. A fully analyzed emission reduction measure that establishes short, medium, and long term implementation strategies offers decision makers an opportunity to analyze reduction potential, costs, and benefits for each measure and the overall plan. The reduction measures provide the core of the CAP and demonstrate consistency with AB 32 and SB 375. c. Identify reasonably foreseeable regional, state, and federal actions and quantify their effectiveness when combined with strategies implemented at the local level. 4. Provide an approach to implementation and monitoring implementation of the Plan. Identify the lead implementation agency, supporting organizations, funding mechanisms, timeline for activation, timeline for reassessment, and others as requested by the City.